Svetlana Flemming - Colloquial Russian - The Next Step in Language Learning

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The buffer vowel -o in prepositions

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You will have noticed that the preposition v changes to vo, k to ko 7

and s to so before some words beginning with more than one conso-8

nant. Sometimes this happens when the beginning of the word repeats 9

the same or a similar sound to the preposition:

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so sredy

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since Wednesday

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but v sre´du

on Wednesday

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The health service

vo Frańcii

in France

but k Frańcii

towards France

so stadiońa

from the stadium

but k stadiońu

towards the stadium

There are some combinations of consonants which result in -o being added to all of these prepositions.

These include: vr-, vs-, vt-, dn-, mn- : vo vre´mq, ko vre´meni, so vre´meni, vo vsex, ko vsem, so vse´mi, vo vtoro´m, ko vtoro´mu, so vtory

´ m, vo mno´gix, ko mno´gim, so mno´gix.

Exercise 11

Choose the correct form of the prepositions from the brackets to complete the sentence.

1 On prie´xal (v / vo) vtoŕnik. 2 Ona uwla´ (v / vo) sre´du. 3 (S / so) togo´ vre´meni vseïzmeniĺos;. 4 |to (v / vo) mno´gom zaviśit ot Vas.

5 Oniźajdu´t (k / ko) mne. 6 Ona podowla´ (k / ko) stadiońu.

Stress

Short form of adjectives

Fixed stress on the stem: krasi´v, krasi´va, krasi´vo, krasi´vy; intereśen, intereśna; ser;e¨zen, ser;e¨zna. This group includes most adjectives of four or more syllables.

There are three main types of mobile stress:

– Stress on the ending in the feminine and otherwise on the stem: gust, gusta´, guśto, guśty; dobr, dobra´; kre´pok, krepka´; glup, glupa´; 'iv, 'iva´; cel, cela´; mil, mila´.

– Stress on the ending in the feminine, neuter and plural: xoro´w, xorowa´, xorowo´, xorowi´; boĺen, bol;na´; le¨gok, legka´; ume¨n, umna´.

– Stress on the end in the feminine and plural and otherwise on the stem: vi´den, vidna´, vi´dno, vidny´.

Zdravooxranenie

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Exercise 12

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Translate into Russian.

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1 At present the Russian health system is experiencing many diffi-7

culties. There are not enough doctors and nurses and conditions 8111

in hospitals are appalling.

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2 The cost of treatment in private clinics is very high but I do not 10

think we can do without private medicine in the present situa-1

tion.

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3 State help is essential for all hospitals, both state and private.

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4 I think medical treatment should remain accessible to all people.

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But I do agree that people should have a choice.

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5 I am so sorry for old age pensioners in Russia; they worked hard 6

all their lives and now they cannot afford even basic medicines.

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6 I think Professor Bronstein succeeded in creating his famous clinic 8

thanks to his enormous energy and practical experience.

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7 I am so fed up with everything; I have nothing to do, nowhere 20111

to go, nobody to talk to.

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8 I hope the Russian government will succeed in getting out of its 2

present crisis.

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13 VYBORY V DUMU

In this unit you will learn:

◗ about the Russian electoral and party system

◗ how to form and to use perfective and imperfective gerunds

◗ how to write sentences in the negative

The fall of the Soviet Union also ended the role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) as the sole political party. However, it would be inaccurate to say that Russia has now moved to a properly functioning multi-party system. With the exception of the successor to the CPSU, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), other political groups are rather ill-defined movements, with no real party structure, economic programme or ideological position.